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Our Mission

Impresa is a Portland based consulting firm specializing in metropolitan economies and knowledge-based industries, and education policy. Founded in 1995, Impresa has a two-decade track record of providing solid analysis and policy advice that addresses the key challenges confronting communities around the nation.

Urban Economic Development. Led by Impresa’s Joe Cortright, our policy insights on metropolitan economic development are built around a proven four-part framework for developing successful urban economies. Places flourish by building strategies that effectively harness talent, innovation, connections and distinctiveness. Our work explains how these four forces shape economic success. Joe also serves as director of City Observatory, a virtual thinktank on urban issues funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Education Policy. With co-founder Laurel Dukehart’s return in May, 2015, Impresa’s focus will expand to include innovative strategies in K-12 and higher education–critical components of city vitality and economic success.

Using economic data and analysis as our window into the workings of regional economies, we are able to provide policy advice and research into industry clusters, which are central to making sense of the way regional economies function. Impresa is a recognized leader in defining clusters, developing cluster strategies, and advancing their implementation.

We view sustainability not as an obstacle to regional economic prosperity, but an opportunity and a building block for healthy regional economies. In our hometown of Portland, Oregon, we’ve shown how sustainable policies can pay a handsome green dividend for local economies.

The public sector is an integral part and partner in creating place-based policies promoting economic success. And from our economic perspective, we can focus closely on a series of issues related to public finance.